Ventilated shoe

ABSTRACT

A ventilated shoe comprising a flexible sole and shoe upper with a tongue, an air bladder in the sole heel and in the tongue, air intakes for each bladder, one-way check valves in each air intake, check valves between each bladder and each set of discharge vents in the toe area, one in the tongue and one in the sole, whereby movement of the user provides air intake and consequent air expulsion through the discharge vents to cool a user&#39;s foot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most shoes are inherently poor regarding foot ventilation. Proper foot support typically negates ventilation. Various shoe designs have been utilized in efforts to alleviate this problem. Some even involve systems and devices for pumping air around the foot. Air flow is most needed in the toe region, as this is the area of shoes which sees the least ventilation possibilities. The present invention uses a person's foot movement to pump air for ventilating the forward area of a user's feet.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ventilated shoes and more specifically to a ventilated shoe that uses both the top of the foot and the foot's heel strike to ventilate a shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the ventilated shoe, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a ventilated shoe which has many novel features that result in an improved ventilated shoe which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof.

To accomplish this, the invention comprises a ventilated shoe comprising a flexible sole and shoe upper with a tongue. The invention can be employed in almost any kind of shoe. An air bladder is positioned in the sole heel. Another air bladder is disposed in the tongue. Each bladder is provided with an air intake. The air intake for the heel bladder is preferably in the upper area of the shoe's upper heel. The air intake for the tongue bladder is preferably at the top of the tongue. A one-way check valve is disposed between each air intake and its respective bladder, providing for air flow into each bladder but not back out the intake. A one-way check valve is also disposed between each bladder and each set of discharge vents in the toe area. The one-way check valves allow for air to be transferred from the bladder to the discharge vents but not to return to the bladder. A plurality of discharge vents is provided in the bottom area of the tongue, to ventilate the toes area of a user. A plurality of discharge vents is provided in the toe area of the sole for the same purpose. When a user's heel is off of a contact surface, expansion of the heel bladder causes air intake of the heel bladder. When a user's heel contacts a surface, the heel bladder is compressed and thereby transfers air to the discharge vents of the sole, thereby aerating a user's foot.

When the user lifts a foot, the front top of the foot pushes against the tongue bladder, providing for the bladder to compress to transfer air to the tongue discharge vents. When the user's heel contacts a surface, the front of the foot does not pressure the tongue bladder, thereby providing for bladder expansion and air intake through the tongue bladder intake.

Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the ventilated shoe so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the ventilated shoe will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, examples of the ventilated shoe when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current examples of the ventilated shoe in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. The invention is capable of other examples and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the ventilated shoe.

It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Objects of the ventilated shoe, along with various novel features that characterize the invention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part of this disclosure. For better understanding of the ventilated shoe, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to the accompanying drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention worn by a user.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention in use, showing the heel bladder filling with air and the tongue bladder discharging air through the tongue discharge vents.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention in use, showing the heel bladder discharging air through the sole discharge vents and the tongue bladder filling with air through the tongue air intake and check valve.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the sole containing the sole bladder and air passage to the sole discharge vents.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the tongue bladder and tongue discharge vents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, example of the ventilated shoe employing the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention 10 comprises a flexible sole 16 with a shoe upper 14 affixed to the sole 16. The tongue 12 is disposed typically in the shoe upper 14. The air heel bladder 24 is disposed in the heel of the sole 16. An air intake 26 communicates with the heel bladder 24. The heel bladder intake 26 is disposed upwardly in an upper heel portion of the shoe upper 14. A one-way check valve 22 is disposed between the air intake 26 and the heel bladder 24, whereby air is drawn into the heel bladder 24 but cannot pass back to the air intake 26. A plurality of discharge vents 30 is disposed in a toe area of the sole 16 (FIG. 4).

The vents 30 communicate with the heel bladder 24 via the air passage 28. A one-way check valve 22 is disposed between the sole 16vdischarge vents 30 and the heel bladder 24, whereby air passes out of the heel bladder 24 to the sole 16 discharge vents 30 but cannot pass back from the sole 16 discharge vents 30 to the heel bladder 24. Pressure on the heel of the sole 16 forces air out of the heel bladder 24 and out of the discharge vents 30 of the sole 16. An air tongue 12 bladder 24 is disposed in the tongue 12 (FIG. 5). An air intake 26 disposed at the top of the tongue 12 communicates with the tongue bladder 24. A plurality of air discharge vents 30 is disposed in a toe area of the tongue 12. The discharge vents 30 communicate with the tongue bladder 24, whereby pressure from an upper area of a user's foot 60 against the tongue 12 causes air to be pushed from the tongue 12 bladder 24 and out of the tongue 12 discharge vents 30. A one-way check valve 22 is disposed between the air intake 26 and the tongue 12 bladder 24, whereby air is drawn into the tongue 12 bladder 24 but cannot pass back to the air intake 26. A one-way check valve 22 is disposed between the tongue 12 discharge vents 30 and the tongue 12 bladder 24, whereby air passes out of the tongue 12 bladder 24 to the tongue 12 discharge vents 30 but cannot pass back from the tongue 12 discharge vents 30 to the tongue 12 bladder 24.

Referring to FIG. 2, the user's heel is off of the contact surface. The elevated heel of the invention 10 provides for the heel bladder 24 to fill via the air intake 26, through the one-way check valve 22. The one-way check valve 22 between the heel bladder 24 and the air passage 28 prevents air from flowing from the discharge vents 30 of the sole 16 into the heel bladder 24.

The pressure of the upper foot 60 of the user causes the tongue 12 bladder 24 to force air through the lower tongue 12 check valve 22 and out of the tongue 12 discharge vents 30.

Referring to FIG. 3, the heel strike of the invention 10 causes the heel bladder 24 to force air through the one-way check valve 22 into the air passage 28. Air thereby flows to and out of the discharge vents 30. The one-way check valve 22 between the air intake 26 of the heel bladder 24 prevents air from exiting the heel bladder 24 through the air intake 26. The lack of foot 60 pressure on the tongue 12 causes the tongue bladder 24 to fill via the air intake 26 and the one-way check valve 22. The alternate motions of heel strike versus forefoot strike thereby ventilates a user's foot 60.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the ventilated shoe, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the examples shown and described in conjunction with the drawings.

These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the present invention may be used.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

1. A ventilated shoe, comprising a flexible sole; a shoe upper affixed to the sole; a tongue in the shoe upper; an air heel bladder in a heel of the sole; an air intake communicating with the heel bladder; a plurality of discharge vents in a toe area of the sole, the vents communicating with the heel bladder, whereby pressure on the heel of the sole forces air out of the heel bladder and out of the discharge vents of the sole; an air tongue bladder in the tongue; an air intake communicating with the tongue bladder; a plurality of air discharge vents in a toe area of the tongue, the discharge vents communicating with the tongue bladder, whereby pressure from an upper area of a user's foot against the tongue causes air to be pushed from the tongue bladder and out of the tongue discharge vents.
 2. The invention in claim 1 wherein the air intake for the heel bladder is disposed in an upper heel portion of the shoe upper.
 3. The invention in claim 1 wherein the air intake for the tongue bladder is disposed in a top of the tongue.
 4. The invention in claim 2 wherein the air intake for the tongue bladder is disposed in a top of the tongue.
 5. A ventilated shoe, comprising a flexible sole; an shoe upper affixed to the sole; a tongue in the shoe upper; an air heel bladder in a heel of the sole; an air intake communicating with the heel bladder; a one-way check valve between the air intake and the heel bladder, whereby air is drawn into the heel bladder but cannot pass back to the air intake; a plurality of discharge vents in a toe area of the sole, the vents communicating with the heel bladder; a one-way check valve between the sole discharge vents and the heel bladder, whereby air passes out of the heel bladder to the sole discharge vents but cannot pass back from the sole discharge vents to the heel bladder; whereby pressure on the heel of the sole forces air out of the heel bladder and out of the discharge vents of the sole; an air tongue bladder in the tongue; an air intake communicating with the tongue bladder; a plurality of air discharge vents in a toe area of the tongue, the discharge vents communicating with the tongue bladder, whereby pressure from an upper area of a user's foot against the tongue causes air to be pushed from the tongue bladder and out of the tongue discharge vents; a one-way check valve between the air intake and the tongue bladder, whereby air is drawn into the tongue bladder but cannot pass back to the air intake; a one-way check valve between the tongue discharge vents and the tongue bladder, whereby air passes out of the tongue bladder to the tongue discharge vents but cannot pass back from the tongue discharge vents to the tongue bladder.
 6. The invention in claim 5 wherein the air intake for the heel bladder is disposed in an upper heel portion of the shoe upper.
 7. The invention in claim 5 wherein the air intake for the tongue bladder is disposed in a top of the tongue.
 8. The invention in claim 6 wherein the air intake for the tongue bladder is disposed in a top of the tongue. 